Piaggio Pegna PC-7 - This time the SBS Model resin 1/72nd kit

 (the completed model can bee seen here:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2022/08/piaggio-pegna-pc-7-sbs-model-resin.html

 

Not long ago I completed an AMP of Ukraine injected plastic PC-7:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2022/07/piaggio-pegna-pc-7-amp-from-ukraine.html

But I also had this beautiful SBS release, so here it is, as this is a different type of kit that offers interesting and practical engineering, for those who favor resin. For some historical notes please follow the link above to the other build.

Contents of the welcome sturdy box, protected and well-packed:

Color profiles and instructions:

Photo-etched fret and inst. pan. film:

Decals:

The customarily good quality transparency, with the correct very small panel at the front:

Parts still in their casting blocks. Notice the relatively small count due to good engineering:

Again perfectly cast and well engineered. Plenty of spares for the small exhaust stacks:

Smart solutions that save the modeler time and grief:

Perfect fit:

SBS offers an aftermarket set of the laser-cut wood cradles to help display the model:

Nice touch on part of SBS:

Parts separated from their blocks:

Washed and let to dry:

Some P.E. parts are attached at this stage:

The two-part spinner is assembled:

SBS offers replacement metal hydrofoils if so you wish. For that you will have to cut off the resin ones and add the metal ones to the legs at the correct angle. I think I would leave them well alone, but if you are crazy about them, may be you could use the casting cradle by carefully excising the resin foils (not the legs or the backing surroundings), using the surrounding resin as a guide for their positioning. Didn't try this so don't know if it will work:

I love a manufacturer that cares for the modeler, thinking of ways to make the builds more pleasant and practical, always exploring ways to improve their kits, and offering a product of high quality at a fair price. Well done, SBS.

Just one little nitpicking: in previous models SBS included the transparency masks, but for some reason not on this kit. Masks are very helpful and save the modeler some time, not to mention that they render a very neat finish, so next time... please, SBS?

A bit of painting goes on:

More painting:

The throttle and P:E.+film inst. pan. are glued to one side, and the pan is ready to be installed:

After some dry-fitting, the fuselage halves are joined, and the tail feathers added. No problems, but you have to pay attention to the very thin chin radiator cooling ribs close to the keel, because if you try to get the nose halves together pressing in that area, you may crunch them:

The front legs are easily secured in place thanks to their locating recesses. The tail hydrofoil basically clips into place. For extra safety the water rudder was metal-pinned:

Gloss white is airbrushed in preparation for the red:

A coat of red, not forgetting the spinner and canopy:

The masking to apply the radiator color is very complex. I had to do it in three successive sessions, changing the masking, as with the AMP model of this same plane:

The chin radiator will need another session:

Masks off, and on its aftermarket wooden supports. The canopy, headrest, and prop are on, and so is the water propeller, which gave a little minute trouble: I didn't realize its molded stem didn't have a corresponding locating hole on the fuselage keel. I had to cut the mounting stem off, and butt-join the water prop. Ideally I would have put there a metal pin, but I decided not to fuss at this stage, risking a boo-boo on the paint:

And now for the fun: to cut and glue the already painted very small and fiddly 12 exhaust stacks:

The decals, which are per rule excellent in all SBS kits I built, this time were a bit thick. The rudder tricolore subjects were too long and exceeded the base of the rudder, having to be trimmed back once set. One of the white lettering decals broke in half without provocation. All went well at the end, though. The exhausts were added with the help of good quality and very pointy tweezers, white glue, magnification, a steady hand and much breath holding:

 

To be continued...